The Plane Truth, Bangkok Style
by whitedove03
Summary: Short one shot about what should have happened on the plane and in Bangkok.


ABC owns these characters. Bangkok however is owned by the Thailand government and therefore cannot be claimed by the mouse. I however claim nothing but the plot of this story and the right to post it wherever I feel the need to.

The Plane Truth, Bangkok Style 

"What the hell are you doing here?" John raged at Natalie as he stood up. He looked at her standing on those crutches and felt the urge to protect her but his anger at her following him overrode everything else he was feeling. He knew what she hoped to accomplish by following him around Bangkok, why she had come.

"I can't just let you throw your live away John! I know you want justice for your father's murder but this isn't the way!" Natalie said passionately. She loved John, right or wrong she needed him in her life. Not in a jail cell in some foreign country. Killing David wouldn't bring his father back nor would it ease his pain, what it would do was take him away from her and everyone else that loved him.

John glared at her for a moment, seeing that look in her eyes he knew she wouldn't back down. He sighed, still annoyed, "Fine! Come! I'm not playing nurse maid!" Saying those words he felt bad but he refused to take them back. He cared for Natalie a great deal and when she had almost died in that tornado he had felt like he was in hell, but this wasn't about her this was about his father. She was safe in Llanview and that's where he wanted her to stay. But he also knew it was useless to argue with her when she was like this. They had talked about getting back together at the hospital but they both knew that they couldn't be together until he went to look for David Vickers. He needed to find some justice for his father before he was ready to be with her like she deserved.

Natalie hobbled to the seat next to his and sat down heavily. "Good! Cause I don't want you to. I can take care of myself!"

He looked at her bemused and still angry at her interference. "Fine!" he said gruffly then proceeded to ignore her the rest of the flight. He knew he was being rude, being an ass but he just couldn't help it. He felt he was right and that she shouldn't be here but he was also afraid. He was scared that she would be hurt because of him. Again. He couldn't take that. He needed her safe, couldn't live without her in his life.

Natalie didn't want to talk to him either at that time so the flight was long and tense. As they began to off load the plane John finally talked to her. She sighed in relief and they talked about the case all the way to the hotel. John helped her to their room, he insisted they share so he could 'keep an eye on her' so she wouldn't interfere with his investigation. "Thank you for letting me help." Natalie started to tell him.

In a blink of an eye John was on the defensive, "I am not LETTING you help. I am trying to keep you out of my way!"

This was it for Natalie; she had had enough! "Listen McBain! You don't know what it cost me to get that sketch for you! What you cost me when you interfered with George! I have every right to help you in this!" After a stunned silence she realized what it was that she said and froze. She had meant never to tell John what his involvement had cost her. She hadn't ever wanted him to find out that she was in debt, that she owed Vincent Jones, because he had followed her that day.

John froze as well not sure he heard her correctly. Had something happened with George before he got there? Suddenly scared that it had he demanded, "What? What did it cost you Natalie?"

Natalie just stared at him mutely, not answering. No way was she saying another word about it.

John walked to her and pulled her to the bed gently. Smoothing the hair from her face he said, "Tell me. What did I cost you, and why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Overwhelmed by his sudden gentleness Natalie actually answered him, "I owe Vincent Jones. He is the one who arranged the meeting with George. When you followed Vincent got mad and changed the deal. Now I owe him a favor."

John stood up and swore, suddenly angry again, "You went to Vincent Jones! What were you thinking?"

Angry and confused by his sudden mood changes she also got angry, not just at him but at the fact that he seemed willing to throw away what they had for a man that wasn't worth anything. "I was thinking that you needed my help and that maybe, just maybe you would actually need me for once!"

John heard that and was ashamed at how he had been treating her. "Natalie I do need you," He told her. I need you safe and healthy and away from what might happen here."

"Duke is dead." Natalie said abruptly.

John heard her and went still. He stared at her, "How? Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked.

Natalie looked at him tears forming in her eyes; "He was in the rectory when the tornado hit. He was killed and Kelly was injured badly. I can't lose you, John. I've lost too many people I love already!" Her voice catching on the word love she began to cry.

John sat next to her on the bed and took her in his arms, "You won't lose me. If we find him I promise David won't hurt me. I'll be alright."

Natalie pulled away and looked at him, "What if you do find him? What then? Kill him? He doesn't have to hurt you John. If you kill him you'll be arrested and put in a Thai prison. What then? Do I mean so little to you that you would throw away what we could have?"

John ran a weary hand over his face and said, "What do you want me to do Natlaie? Let him go, get away with shooting my father?"

Natlaie took his face in her hands and said, "No I want you to make him pay, make him suffer, but in prison, for the rest of his life. Killing him just makes you as bad as he is. If you do this, kill him I mean I won't be here. I won't watch you throw your life, the life we could have together, away" She waited for him to answer but he said nothing. Her heart breaking she stood up and grabbed her crutches, "I think you are right maybe I don't belong here. Just remember if you kill him you kill us." With that she slowly gathered her bag and made her way to the door.

John stood up and walked to the window, thinking about her words. He thought about what she had given up for him, about how she always stuck by him and didn't know what to do. He could tell she was serious; she wouldn't stick by him if he killed Vickers. That thought scared him almost as much as she he had thought she was going to die. Suddenly he knew he couldn't do it, couldn't watch her leave. "Natalie, Wait."

Natlaie stopped, her hand on the door. She waited for him to speak. When he did his voice came from directly behind her and she shivered as his breath whispered across the back of her neck.

"Stay...Please." John said softly.

"Why?" Natalie asked turning around. She saw the pleading in his eyes and felt herself weakening.

"Because I want you here, with me." Doing a complete 180 on his attitude about having her with him. He felt like if she walked out that door he may never see her again and that was too much for him to bear. Sighing he gave in, "I won't kill him. I promise."

"Not good enough." She told him and then looked at him seriously. She tried to explain one more time. "John, I love you and I can't, I just can't, watch you throw your live away for vengeance."

"Damn it, Natalie!" John burst out, "What do you want from me?"

Natalie shook her head, what she wanted she couldn't have. Not really. She wanted him to choose her over his quest to get revenge but he hadn't, not really. He was still going after David. He had left her in the hospital and taken off for Bangkok whether she liked it or not. She turned back toward the door and began to open it. Suddenly John's hand shot out and he slammed it shut, startling her.

"I love you damn it! What more do you want from me?" his words stunned them both into silence. John couldn't believe he had just told her that, and what shocked him even more then that was that he didn't want to take them back.

Natalie looked at John in shock, "What?" she asked in a small voice not sure if she heard him correctly.

"I love you." He said again, he felt lighter the moment he said it and he smiled. "I love you, Natalie Buchanan. Don't go. Please stay. If you go I'm just going to follow you and then I might never catch Vickers."

"You would do that? You would follow me back to Llanview even though you could lose David for good?" Natalie asked incredulously.

"Yes, I would" John said, meaning it, he loved her that much he just hadn't realized it until that moment.

Slowly Natalie began to smile and she stood up straight, dropping her crutches. When John began to bend to pick them up Natalie grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips down to hers, all thoughts of leaving forgotten as John had just given her everything she had wanted. I love you too John she whispered moments before his lips covered hers in a kiss full of passion and a promise, a promise of a future full of hope and love.

**The End!**


End file.
